The Study of Living Languages, [no. 4, new series. 
As in other matters, the right way of acquiring a correct know- 
ledge of a language will be found to be suitable for the attainment 
of this main object also. 
The things that are necessary to ensure a sound foundation are 
equally so to secure the saving of time ; but we will now consider 
the details especially with reference to the latter. The first thing 
then is, to do one thing at a time. Surely this is a principle that 
will at once commend itself to every one. We have to learn the 
character, the words, pronunciation, the grammar, the expressions, 
&CC. Our plan therefore should be as far as possible to separate 
these, and have the attention concentrated upou' one of them at a 
time. This certainly cannot be fully accomplished; but it can be 
sufficiently, for practical purposes. 
The second is, to learn thoroughly whatever is learnt. How can 
there be any question about the waste of time produced by parti- 
ally learning things and so forgetting them over and over again ? 
"We may safely say that, as ordinarily studied, the meaning of every 
word, its pronunciation, points of grammar, expressions, Sic, are 
partially learnt and forgotten again hundreds of times over. Every- 
thing that is learnt should be so followed up that it may be inde- 
libly fixed in the memory and be as much part of the student him- 
self as any thing in his own language. 
Thirdly, learn only what is really wanted. Surely this also is most 
obvious. To learn at first words which will either never be of 
any use to him, or not till he is far advanced in the language, 
is entire waste of time. The same with forms of expression, See. 
An Englishman never thinks it necessary to learn all the words of 
his own language, he never knows half of them, much as he reads ; 
and how many must there be in every language that he need never 
know. The student should first begin with such words as are of 
universal use in common life and then, when he has made some 
progress in the language, commence upon those which are neces- 
sary for his particular profession. Even in English there are num- 
bers of words which, though common in books, are never used in 
ordinary conversation ; but this is much more the case in languages 
in which ninety nine hundredths of the people scarcely ever read a 
